An imprinting process has attracted attention as a technique for forming a fine pattern. In the imprinting process, an imprinting template including an uneven pattern formed thereon is contacted with resist coated on a base substrate. After the resist cures, the template is released from the resist so that a resist pattern is formed on the base substrate. The base substrate is processed with the resist pattern as a mask so that a fine pattern is formed.
In the imprinting process, it is assumed that processing for forming the resist pattern is repeated while the template is moved on a wafer.
The template is typically formed by processing quartz glass. More specifically, a protruded mesa portion is formed on the quartz glass. A fine uneven pattern is formed on an upper surface of the mesa portion. This uneven pattern is pressed to the resist. However, at a time point when the upper surface of the mesa portion of the template has been pressed to the resist, since the resist has flexibility, there is a risk that the resist extrudes from the mesa portion and climbs up a side surface of the mesa portion. The template is separated from the resist on the wafer after the resist has cured. However, the resist that has climbed up the side surface of the mesa portion, remains adhering to the side surface. Accordingly, when processing for pressing the template to the resist is repeated, the amount of the resist that adheres to the side surface of the mesa portion gradually increases. After a while, the resist falls on the wafer at unintended timing so as to cause a large defect on the wafer.